At 2:45 AM (CEST) on September 25, Beijing time, the Dutch national team will face Germany in their opening match of UEFA Nations League A. Ahead of the match, Van Dijk attended a press conference, and at the beginning of the interview, he responded to criticism directed at him and shared his expectations for a new era. Related link: Van Dijk: Saying Koeman and I have ruined Dutch football is too much; I look forward to facing Klopp

I want to ask Van Dijk one question: How do you feel about hearing the sad news of Koeman's wife passing away?

The news was shared in the team's group chat, and I also received a personal notification. Of course, I felt very heavy-hearted. Everything happened so suddenly. It's incredibly difficult for his family, but she was a woman worthy of respect and very strong. I believe today's funeral will be a dignified and beautiful farewell.

Two months ago, how confident were you that you would still be selected for the national team?

It was mainly my own decision. I needed a well-deserved break to spend time with my family. After that, I had an important 10-second conversation with Xavi, and I was certain I would continue playing for the Netherlands.

What did he say or do in those 10 seconds?

He told me, "You are Van Dijk."

Of course, you already know that yourself. Was that enough for you to decide to continue?

Yes, but there's much more behind those words. The key is trust and recognition—understanding your value to this team. There's no doubt about my physical condition. But you also want to enjoy football and truly feel that recognition, and I felt that.

Based on your observations over the past few days, what changes have taken place?

The coaching staff is the biggest change. We communicate and train in English, which isn't a major obstacle for me. The meeting formats and the entire action plan are completely new. So far, we've completed three training sessions, with another one and a session tomorrow morning before an important match.

It's great to see you again. You must have reflected on the past during your summer break, looking back at the World Cup. Do you think that, as a group of players, you gave 100% and bear full responsibility at that time?

Honestly, we didn't perform well enough; that's an undeniable fact. Now it's our turn to change things as quickly as possible.

From a player's perspective, what do you think was the root cause of the problem?

Looking back, everything seems clear: "We should have played this way, we should have played that way." Some media colleagues have even claimed that I supported playing with five defenders, which is completely nonsensical. We simply failed at the World Cup, that's the harsh truth. This issue has been blown out of proportion, as if the five-back system was the root cause of our elimination, but that's not the case.

Public opinion at home is now very optimistic, saying the Netherlands is returning to a 4-3-3 formation. But the reality is that previous coaches—Van Gaal, Koeman, De Boer—always ended up reverting to five defenders because it could mask defensive weaknesses. Against opponents with many wingers, a four-back system is always difficult to defend. Why should it be different this time?

I'm not the one who decides the tactical plan. I've been with the national team for many years, but I've never been the one to design tactics. From what I sense now, we won't play with five defenders. Spain won the World Cup with four defenders, and most top players are accustomed to a four-back system. We all have the ability to play in this system, though training it is truly a challenge at this stage.

During this national team gathering, you will reach the milestone of 100 caps for the national team. How much motivation does this provide for your decision to continue playing for the national team?

That's not the main motivation. I simply wanted to rest, spend time with my family, talk to people around me, and then have a meeting with the national team coach. Of course, reaching 100 caps—not many players achieve this—makes me happy to think about it. I will be the 11th player in the team's history to reach 100 caps, which is truly remarkable.

You mentioned trust and recognition. Did Xavi bring these back to you, or have you been lacking this recognition?

I don't lack it within the team, but outside, in public opinion, I often don't feel it.

What do you mean by "outside"?

Public image is created from outside. The media plays a big role in this. The external image and reality don't match. I can feel the difference between how I'm viewed at the national team level and how I'm judged by international public opinion, and it's not just the English media; it happens worldwide.

Setting aside the World Cup elimination, how should the outside world evaluate you objectively? When you reflected during your break on your national team career and decided whether to continue playing for your country, you wanted to gain the trust and recognition of Dutch fans. But ultimately, shouldn't players be evaluated by their performances on the pitch? Shouldn't everyone be judged by the same standard?

We should be evaluated fairly, but in reality, that doesn't happen.

After the match against Morocco, public opinion was harsh at that time. Do you feel the team was simply unlucky, just a series of unfortunate events? After all this time, do you still see it that way?

I still believe that. We conceded in the 89th minute, and our overall performance in that match was poor, that's a fact. If we had had a few more minutes, the result could have been completely different. But we played very badly, had to go to a penalty shootout, and were eliminated too early. This led to harsh criticism, much of which was justified. A Dutch national team with our players shouldn't have stopped there.

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